Last Contacts
by enderfan
Summary: This story is mostly about Peter's death and how it affected Ender and Valentine afterwards. (This is my first and probabaly also my last attempt at writting a fanfiction. ) Disclaimer:All characters belong to the author, Orson Scott Card


To: ÆWig@ joplie.com

  
  


From: PHegie@ fanthoms.net

  
  


RE: THE HEGEMON

  
  


My health is deteriorating as we speak. I'm afraid my time in this world is already limited-as hard as it is for me to believe. I don't think I fear death, why should I? I live my life the best I knew how. Regrets are plenty, but we all have regrets, don't we? I can do nothing to fix them now, besides, it's impossible for us to go through life without making a little blotch once in awhile.

Do justice to my life Andrew. In some ways, I'm just like any of the other people whom you have spoken for. I've made mistakes, I felt pain, I felt love, I let life pass me by, I have moments of great compassion and kindness and then turn around to strike the best people who never did wrong by me. So overall, I'm just like any ordinary human. But my life is also very different from those you have spoken for in the past. I like to believe that because I lived, I somehow changed the world, which is very true. Do I sound too arrogant to you? Some people who don't know me would agree with that statement, but I've seen all the things I've accomplish, and I don't see that as an exaggeration. I'm was the best Hegemon that ever lived. My future successors would use me as a standard to measure themselves upon, isn't that the best feeling in the world? Yes, but only temporary. In the end, we shall all fade away, leaving only some fragments of ourselves for the world to remember us by. Some people do this by bearing children and passing themsleves into their offsprings, but I did it by reuniting the world. I felt the pride that this accomplishment brought me throughout me life. I am proud of myself, but when it comes down to it, I'm extremely glad I did the things I did. Pride has nothing to do with it now, the only thing I feel for my accomplishments is the overwhelming gladness I have something of a legacy to leave behind long after my life has ended.

  
  


Peter Wiggin

  
  
  
  


To: PHegie@ fathoms.net

  
  


From: Æwig@ joplie.com

  
  


RE: THE HEGEMON

  
  


I would like to speak to you one last time-before it's too late. I would start speaking for you as soon as I receive word of your decease. I do not like writing for dead when the dead is still alive. It doesn't make much sense and besides, there might always be some last minute things you might feel like sharing with me. Meet me in our regular place at the regular time. Send me word instantly if you have to make any alterations.

Andrew

  
  


WELCOME TO MASTERCHAT! DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORD OR E-MAIL WHILE USING THIS PROGRAM. Thanks for supporting us!

  
  


P I have nothing left to share with you. I've told my life story, haven't I?

  
  


AIf you say you have, then I guess you're correct.

  
  


PBut....

  
  


ABut nothing. I just want to exchange my farewells, Peter. 

  
  


PYou know what I've been thinking Andrew? In order for you to speak for someone, you would need to know their entire life story, which means you can't just count on what I tell you. You would also need to know how people felt and thought of me.

  
  


AI've been thinking the same thing and I've got the solution already.

  
  


PWill you tell me or does it not matter?

  
  


AI'm going to use Valentine and my memories of you to write the book. I don't find it overly important or sensible to talk to those slimy politicians you work with. Sure, they will all jump at a chance to give some silly comment on your life, but how many of them really know you enough not to suck-up to you, even in your death, and give me the truth of who you really are, not is if they really do know who the real Peter Wiggin is.

  
  


PI see...thank-you, then. But you don't know me, nor does Valentine.

  
  


A I don't? I understand you very well. If you don't know this by now, then either you shouldn't have asked me to speak for you or I'm in the wrong profession.

  
  


PThe only memory you or Valentine have of me was of that ruthless and ambitious boy that brought terror and hate into your lives.

  
  


AI know enough about you to realize that he still lives inside you, Peter. You never gave him up because he is part of you. I know you think we may be so driven by the young Peter that we can't see the great Hegemon you've become and you are wrong. I see all that you've done and understand why, but I still can see the flaws along with that greatness. I'm not going to drag your name through mud because of my memories of that young boy because I also know what an extraordinary man you've become.

  
  


PYou understand people too well, Andrew.

  
  


AIt's our curse. You, me, and Valentine. 

  
  


PToo true and I will be the first musketeer to go.

  
  


AYou go first because you've done the best out of three, your life is in peace now.

  
  


PSometimes, I wished I've done things differently.

  
  


AYou did better than most people.

  
  


P Are you sure?

  
  


AIn my opinion. What do you think of yourself then?

  
  


PI think Peter Wiggin is the legendary Hegemon who reunited the human race, but he was first a little boy who wanted to kill his younger brother who everyone liked best and destroy his wonderful sweet sister. He murdered tiny, defenseless squirrels in cold blood and watch joyfully, almost obsessively, as their skin and entrails rot away. Peter was a beautiful boy, who had the soul of a devil in him and guess what? He loved it.

  
  


AWhy are you telling me this?

  
  


PI know you know all those things. I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten. Just like I haven't forgotten how you look at me all those years ago and how you wished I was dead.

  
  


AThat was never my wish as a child. 

  
  


PThen what was it? You never wanted me to suffer?

  
  


AI wanted you to love me. I was afraid of you, that was obvious, but I still loved you and I wondered, why couldn't Peter love me too?

  
  


MasterchatTime elapsed in inactivity -----1 minute and 2 seconds. Would you like to terminate this ansible chat?

  
  


PIgnore 

  
  


PThis could be too much for my old heart, Andrew.

  
  


ADoesn't matter. You're going to die anyway.

  
  


PIf I do die tomorrow, maybe this is the best thing I could do to complete my life. I've long since made peace with our past, Ender. To you, those memories are less than a decade old, but to me, they happened more than sixty years ago. If there is one thing time has given me is the ability to forget my earlier life. Maybe not actually forget, because as you said, he will always be in me, but what I did all those years ago have faded in my mind. All the pain I've caused and all the things I've done to you and Valentine have turned around in my mind for endless years and I've finally come to peace with my younger self- and with you too. So I can truthfully say to you now that I do love you and Valentine. 

  
  


That was my last thing I wanted to say, for me and for you. All I can do is bid you farewell. My story will be in your hands now, Ender.

  
  


AYou have past through darkness to find a dim light. A small spark is all that guides your path, but you nurse your light gently and it grew to fill you with hope and happiness. Darkness never consumed you again, but its lessons lights your path just as much as the bright torch you now hold. May you rest in peace, Peter. 

  
  


PI wish the same for you, Andrew. Good-bye.

  
  
  
  


Valentine looked at the headlines scattered throughout the nets. She took an article from a respected news-site and printed it out without reading it. She knew that Ender had been already notified, which was why he was already gone when she woke up. 

She knew where he went and didn't bother to get alarm when she discovered his bed was empty. Valentine pulled on a sweater, it was especially cool in the early mornings and where she was going, Valentine knew it would be even colder. She walked for a few minutes before she reached the lake that hid behind the thick layers of grand trees that grew so heartily in the planet's warm atmosphere. It took her seconds before she spotted Ender near the bank, building a raft. She walked over to him and sat down near the raft he almost completed.

"Here" she said and handed him the article she took from the obituary section. Ender paused and took it from her and saw the glaring headline staring back at him-HEGEMON DEAD AT SEVENTY-SEVEN! He skimmed it quickly just for fun. 

"Funeral arrangements will be announced the next day." He said putting the article down.

"You're not planning to go are you?" Valentine asked.

"No, what about you?" Ender said 

"Ha ha ha, I only go where ever you go remember?" Valentine said smiling.

Ender tied together the last log and began to push the raft into the lake. 

"Come on Val, hop on" he yelled. Valentine shrugged and walked into the chilling waters. She laid down next to Ender and both of them stared peacefully at the foggy sky hanging above them. 

"I think this is the first time since we started this journey that I feel actually homesick."

"Homesick? When did you ever have a home?" she asked.

"I mean planet Earth. No matter how far the human race stretches to the 4, 5, 6 or even the 100 corners of the universe, our first home will always be Mother Earth. We are just her little, ambitious children who are growing up and just like all children, we are anxious to step out of our parent's shadows and prove that we can make it in the big bad world by ourselves. But we will never forget about Mother Earth and what she has done for her children. Honour thy father and mother, right Val?"

Valentine sort of smiled, "Really? When have you ever practice that belief?"

"I do mean it though." Ender said

"Earth is humanity's mother and our father would be...?" Valentine asked.

"Peter Wiggin." Ender said without hesitation.

"I have a better idea. What about Ender Wiggin?"

"Ender Wiggin never gives life to no one. He destroys life. I probably did save humanity from the Formics, but who saved humanity from ourselves. Humans and the Formic were innocent on both sides when we went to war. But once you destroy a race so completely, like I have, how innocent are you then? And what have I killed the formic for anyway? Down on Earth, humanity still went at each other's throats. What have we learn from being so close on the brink the death? Nothing. Then Peter came along and changed the face of the planet. For once in history, the whole human race was united in peace. And that was the moment we were able to move on to the heavens above us and conquer the stars. Without Peter, would that have been possible?"

"But without you, we would have never gotten the opportunity in the first place!" Valentine said.

Ender laughed lightly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you always have to be the little angel?"

Valentine smiled, "Of course I do. It would be so much easier to slap you on the head and say, "You are Wrong!", but I'm Valentine Wiggin, I'm not programed that way."

They were silent for a moment. Valentine thought Ender went to sleep until she felt small hot drops of water on her arm. She looked at Ender and saw tears roll quietly down his face. 

"Do you remember a scene like this in our past life? You told me you wanted Peter to love you." Valentine said silently.

"Well, I got my wish. My brother loves me. He loves us both."

"But it's not the same?"

"How could it be? The dying 77 year-old Hegemon said he loved me, but that 12 year-old boy still wants to kill me."

"Why are you asking for this? You want him to apologize?" 

"No, I want him to love me the same way that I loved him." he said choking on his tears. He paused. "I realize it now that even when he was hurting me all those years ago, deep down inside, I still loved Peter Wiggin. I saw the magnificent boy he was and admired him so much. I loved him for all of that and I also loved him even more because he was simply my brother."

"But he was your nightmare, Ender." Valentine said slowly.

"Yes, that's another reason I loved him so much." he said. Valentine took his hand and squeezed it.

"The devil never dies." she murmured more to herself than to Ender.

"But our brother did."

Apparently not, she thought, he still lives in you. Valentine started to cry.

"Valentine, don't cry. I'm not as messed up as you think."

I loss both my brothers, Ender! she thought, but she said nothing. Instead she just stood up and pointed up to the sky.

"It's too bright to lay around this lake anymore. The just sun came out."

"It's about time." Ender said and began to paddle back to shore.

  
  


Many years ago:

  
  


Peter Wiggin sat on the sofa, looking mindlessly bored as he stared at the television screen.

"Val! Get me a sandwich!" he yelled into the kitchen.

Minutes later Valentine came into the living room. Peter watched silently as she took a bite into the sandwich and then gave it to him.

"Here you go" she said innocently. Peter took the sandwich and bit into it at the exact same spot that Valentine chewed on.

"Thanks honey. You always make it the way I like it." he said with his mouth full of peanut butter. He laughed at her and watch her walk away, looking disgusted with him. As soon as she left, Peter took a napkin and spit out all the peanut butter from his mouth. "Yuck" he said and began to wipe his mouth furiously.

Then the front door suddenly opened and his parents walk in. He could hear Valentine dash over to them and began to admire her new baby brother. Peter groaned, but got up anyway.

"Mom! Dad! Where's Andrew?" he asked eagerly when he reached his parents. 

His father and mother looked haggard. They've obviously been through an exhausting day.

"Andrew is outside with Valentine. Look, Peter, maybe you can take your little brother and sister out for a walk in the backyard. Your mother and I want to rest for awhile."

Peter nodded "Of course. I'll take care of them."

"Thanks son." his father said.

  
  


A few moments later Valentine was happily pushing Ender on a stroller as Peter looked wearily at them as they moved around in circles.

"Are you ever going to stop? There's only so many times you can push that thing around." he yelled.

Valentine looked up at him, "You truly have no feelings. Andrew will never be like you." she said.

"On yeah? How so?" he said.

"Well, for one thing, he's cute."

"Why would I want to be cute of I'm already so pretty." Peter said grinning, "But of course my face will never compare to your's, my sweet angel."

Valentine ignored him and began to wheel Ender into the woods. Peter quickly ran after them.

"Thanks for the warning!" he snapped at her.

"I didn't think you cared about us." said said.

"You are right. I wouldn't care if a bear came out and mauled the both of you. But it's my job to watch you. If anything happens, then mom and dad would be mad at me."

"What a loving brother."

"I try my best" he said looking down at Ender for the first time. "That brat has a monitor" he said to himself.

Valentine looked up at him, surprised. "What did you expect? You just expected mom and dad to just stop creating geniuses?"

"I'm the only genius. You two are just copy-cats"

Valentine laughed," Don't be scared Peter. So what if Andrew is going to pass the test and both of us failed it? Just because he's going to do the impossible, doesn't mean you should be angry at him."

Peter glared at her. He stalk over to a nearby bench and sat down. He didn't budge. Valentine sighed. She did it now. 

"Don't hate him Peter" she said softly.

"Don't hate me Valentine" he snapped, knowing she couldn't help despising him, just like he couldn't help hating Ender. Then Peter suddenly got up and walked over to Ender. He lowered his head to the level of Ender's puffy face.

"I'M PETER WIGGIN AND I'M GOING TO RULE THE WORLD!" he screamed at Ender.

Valentine was stunned. She turned Ender away from him. "What in the world do you think you are doing?" she demanded in a dead voice.

Peter was laughing. 

"Calm down Valentine. I know there's probably some Fleet guy listening on the other end of that thing. I just wanted to make sure they know who I am." he said mockingly.

Valentine walked over to him. Peter smiled at her.

"Keep your insanity to yourself. Don't infect my brother" she warned.

"Ouch! That hurts. So we're no longer family?" he said to her. Valentine ignored him. "I did the same thing to you when mom and dad brought you home too. Did you know that?" he yelled to her. 

Valentine maintain her silence. She started to push Ender back home. Peter watched them leave. Then he notice an object on the floor. Yes, it was Ender's pacifier. Peter grinned and put the pacifier in his pocket and then began to follow Valentine.

  
  


That night Peter creep silently into Ender's room and looked down at the baby's crib. He extended his hand into the crib and touched the monitor on Ender's neck. Immediately Ender began to wail. Peter paid no attention to the noise, it didn't matter to him.

"Listen you creeps. You think this thing will take my place. I'm better than him, but you didn't want me. Big mistake, I'm going to be greater than you will ever imagine. Just guard your precious baby the best you can because I'm going to be the kid's worst nightmare."

Finally Peter regain his composure and finally realized Ender's cries. He took out the pacifier from his pocket and cleaned it with his shirt. Then he stuck it into his mouth. The cries stopped and Peter listened to the silent night. He glanced at Ender for a few moments and retreated from the room.

The dying hegemon laid on his deathbed thinking about that night. Had he did what he promised all those years ago? Yes. He believed he did. That was his last thought before he closed his eyes for the last time and ceased to breathe any longer. And now history will immortalize him forever in her memory. That was the best he could hope for. Now it's all up to Ender.

  
  


THE END

  
  
  
  



End file.
